On the territory of the Adriatic Sea, which washes the amazingly beautiful shores of Italy, Slovenia, Montenegro, Croatia and several other countries, there is a small island of Baljenac. The area of this piece of land is 0.14 square kilometers, but despite its tiny size, every year it attracts the attention of hundreds and even thousands of tourists. And all because from a bird's eye view uninhabited islandlooks like a huge human fingerprint. If you go down to it, you can see many low walls, the purpose of which is impossible to immediately understand. If someone lived on this island, there was no one to defend themselves from with the help of walls. And if not for defense, then what could these barricades be used for? The answer is extremely unclear and may surprise you.
The island of Ballenac belongs to Croatia. Image: trendymen.ru
Island in the form of a fingerprint
Nobody lives on the island of Baljenac. But judging by the barricades that have been built, it was once used by people. It is not hard to guess that residents of neighboring islands sailed to this piece of land – Baljenac is part of the very large Sibenik archipelago.
The total length of the stone walls is 23 kilometers. There is very little space between them, and the arrangement of the barricades resembles a labyrinth. If you look at the island from a helicopter, it looks like a huge fingerprint – the similarity is given not only by the pattern of the walls, but also by the shape of the island.
Baljenac Island from a bird's eye view. Photo: tainyplanet.ru
You might think that the walls on Baljenac Island were built by an ancient civilization and that this is an ancient site, like the Stonehenge archaeological site. But, in fact, the walls are relatively new and were strengthened in the 19th century. Under the new walls, scientists have discovered older stones from around the 16th-17th centuries.
The stone walls of Baljenac Island are no more than 1 meter high. Photo: solyankanews.ru
It is noteworthy that the unknown masons did not use mortar during construction. The stones are simply carefully fitted to each other, and the height of the walls barely exceeds 1 meter. When tourists visit the island, these walls gradually collapse.
In order to protect this amazing place, the Croatian government wants Baljenac Island to be recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On the one hand, this will attract even more tourists. On the other hand, after such a decision, Baljenac Island will become a protected place and will remain safe and sound for many years to come.
Whether Baljenac will become a UNESCO World Heritage Site is unknown. Image: ridus.ru
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The secret of Croatia's most unusual island
The island of Baljenac is known for its labyrinth of stone walls. But what is it for and who built it?
The islands of the Sibenik archipelagoare poorly suited for farming. In addition, all plants planted on them are often damaged by strong gusts of sea wind.
There are many other islands near the island of Balenac. Image: novate.ru
The purpose of the stone walls on the island of Baljenac remained a mystery for a long time. But today it is known that they were built by people from the neighboring island of Kaprije. For hundreds of years, they used this island to grow plants – the walls were needed to protect crops from strong winds that could uproot them.
The stone walls on the island were needed to protect plants. Photo: solyankanews.ru
There are also protective walls on other islands, including Kaprije. But they are not so densely located there and are not so clearly visible from a great height. Similar structures can also be found in fields in England, Scotland and Ireland.
Until the 2000s, Baljenac Island was almost unknown to anyone. Only after the advent of the Internet did people begin to see photographs of Baljenac Islandand dream of flying there. The Croatian authorities were not against this, because tourists are always a source of income. But, as mentioned above, they are only concerned about the lack of enhanced protection of the island.
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The most unusual islands on Earth
Baljenac Island can well be added to our list of the most unusual islands in the world. By the way, pay attention to this selection – you will certainly learn a lot about our planet.
Without any exaggeration, Ballenac is one of the most unusual islands in the world. Image: solyankanews.ru
Do you know what is the name of the very first island on Earth? This title belongs to the island of Madagascar, which was formed about 160 million years ago. During its entire existence, it managed to “see” the rise and extinction of dinosaurs. Madagascar is isolated from the rest of the world, so unique creatures like lemurs, which are considered symbols of the island, live there.
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And the youngest island on our planet is Surtsey, which belongs to Iceland. It was formed in 1963, as a result of the eruption of an underwater volcano. Despite its young age, it is already inhabited by many species of animals and many plants grow on it.